Book Log 1/2013 - Margaret Mahy: The Haunting

[jacey]

Published in 1982 this won the Carnegie Medal – deservedly. It's the story of Barney, aged 8, who is being haunted, initially by a boy in a blue velvet suit and then, as ghostly footsteps close in, by a dead great-uncle. The youngest of three children, Barney's mother died giving birth to him, and after seven years of being motherless with a somewhat distant father he now has a stepmother, Claire, whom he adores and who adores him. But Claire is pregnant and Barney knows how dangerous that can be. So as not to worry her he tries to deal with the ghost with only the help of his older sisters, Tabitha who is nosey and noisy and determined to be a great novelist, and the silent, withdrawn Troy. Revelations abound when Barney's dead mother's family enter the equation and there's a satisfying conclusion after family secrets are revealed.

The characters, child and adult, are well drawn from warm and generous Claire to Great Granny Scholar, a shrivelled soul with a deep secret. This is a psychological thriller, creepy and mysterious, with an increasing threat and a tense climax. Highly recommended.